ercent of vote by party--PPP 15%, Pangu Pati 14%,
NA 14%, PDM 8%, PNC 6%, PAP 5%, UP 3%, NP 1%, PUP 1%, independents
33%; seats by party--PPP 16, Pangu Pati 15, NA 15, PDM 9, PNC 7, PAP
5, UP 3, NP 1, PUP 1, independents 37; note--association with
political parties is very fluid

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, the chief justice is appointed by
the governor general on the proposal of the National Executive
Council after consultation with the minister responsible for
justice, other judges are appointed by the Judicial and Legal
Services Commission

Political parties and leaders: Bougainville Unity Alliance or BUA
MUMURIK]

International organization participation: ACP, APEC, AsDB, ASEAN
(observer), C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, NAM, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Nagora Y. BOGAN
chancery: 1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Arma Jane KARAER
embassy: Douglas Street, Port Moresby
mailing address: P. O. Box 1492, Port Moresby

Flag description: divided diagonally from upper hoist-side
corner; the upper triangle is red with a soaring yellow bird of
paradise centered; the lower triangle is black with five white
five-pointed stars of the Southern Cross constellation centered

Economy

Economy--overview: Papua New Guinea is richly endowed with natural
resources, but exploitation has been hampered by the rugged terrain
and the high cost of developing infrastructure. Agriculture provides
a subsistence livelihood for the bulk of the population. Mineral
deposits, including oil, copper, and gold, account for 72% of export
earnings. Budgetary support from Australia and development aid under
World Bank auspices have helped sustain the economy. In 1995, Port
Moresby reached agreement with the IMF and World Bank on a
structural adjustment program, of which the first phase was
successfully completed in 1996. In 1997, droughts caused by the El
Nino weather pattern wreaked havoc on Papua New Guinea's coffee,
cocoa, and coconut production, the mainstays of the
agricultural-based economy and major sources of export earnings. The
coffee crop